While most folks have never even heard of it, for Alex Gordon, the baritone guitar is a way of life. Nestled comfortably between a bass and a guitar, the baritone guitar features a handsome low register that easily furnishes bass lines while maintaining a comparable higher range for those all-too-important musical devices: melody and harmony. When he made the full-time switch to baritone guitar in 2005, Alex knew he had found the musical avenue on which he belonged. “I remember playing a baritone for the first time and it felt like I was home. I knew right away that I had work to do.”
Taking cues from innovative solo guitarists such as Chet Atkins, Tuck Andress, and Charlie Hunter (each of whom developed a highly individual and unique brand of finger style guitar playing), Alex saw the baritone guitar as a means of expanding on the extensive groundwork laid by these true pioneers. “Baritone was obviously a perfect fit for what I wanted to be able to do, which was, ultimately, to be a self-contained musical unit.” With one baritone guitar, Alex Gordon can simultaneously play bass lines, chords, melodies, and drum beats and he does so live, in real time, without loop pedals or backing tracks. Alex conjures the necessary musical elements and presents them all in a highly listenable and distinctly agreeable package of baritone guitar sound. People who have heard Alex perform once will instantly recognize that “Alex Gordon Sound” whenever they hear it again. Often described as relaxing, engaging, and enjoyable, Alex's solo baritone guitar work is something that appeals to listeners of every age.
”I’m not really interested in virtuosic guitar playing. I’m far more interested in honing a solo guitar sound that has a steady beat and is easy to listen to. Something that creates a calm, fun mood. In other words, I’m not trying to wow people with flawless technique and death-defying precision. I want my solo baritone guitar to sound like the band that backed up The Drifters.”
